On September 24, 2025, Jesus called Gayle Elaine (Breuker) Sommerfeld home to himself while holding hands with her husband of 68 years, Donald Alfred Sommerfeld.

Throughout her life, Gayle enjoyed opening her home in big and small ways from frequently hosting friends and family for meals, a community meeting, or their weekly Koinonia church fellowship. In addition, she regularly invited non-family members in need of stable housing to join in the loving and supportive home environment she created that was frequently filled with laughter and joy.

Gayle was motivated by her faith to help meet the material and spiritual needs of those around her. Initially, this was accomplished through engaging in and initiating various acts of service through her church and local nonprofits. Then, in her 40's and 50's, these passions became more focused as she helped found the Huron Valley Habitat for Humanity chapter (Michigan, 1989) while also laying the foundation for what would become a defining feature of her life's work, by co-founding with her husband, Donald, Mission Opportunities Short Term (MOST) Ministries.

Gayle recognized the need to create opportunities for people with a wide range of skills and experiences to answer the call, "Here I am, Lord. Send me!" and then empower them to confidently and effectively engage in short-term mission work around the world through partnerships with local host congregations. Gayle's faithfulness to answer that call in her own life has resulted in MOST Ministries sending (to date) over 590 short-term mission teams comprised of physicians, dentists, construction workers, teachers, optometrists, counselors, and thousands of willing individuals to over 50 different countries. After years of witnessing God's grace and serving him around the world, Gayle felt called to document and share her stories. In 2016, and with assistance from her daughter Sandi, Gayle published the book, Beyond Sight: God's Vision for Using Ordinary People to Impact the World. Together they brought to life the amazing beginnings of MOST Ministries while also delving into how God had prepared Gayle for these acts of service, just as he prepares each of us to serve in our own unique ways.

Gayle brought passion and an entrepreneurial spirit to everything she did as demonstrated by being the first woman in her family to graduate from college, operating a successful in-home childcare business while simultaneously raising her own family, and spending 19 summers as part of the Eaton Rapids (Michigan) Camp Meeting developing and implementing their children's Bible education curriculum for 1st to 6th graders. This approach to life culminated in creating and leading MOST Ministries from 1989 to 2006 with continued involvement as a Board Member. She also founded Dignity4Girls (2014) when she learned of the dire need for washable sanitary pads in many developing nations given that without proper supplies, girls were missing school, which too often led to dropping out.

In addition to being deeply committed to her family and involvement in church and community, Gayle loved art, particularly the visual arts. They were a source of personal joy and inspiration since her formative teenage years when she participated in a multi-year "invitation only" artist training program at The Art Institute of Chicago. Gayle brought attention to design, presentation, and aesthetics throughout her daily life and engaged in painting, photography, and textile/fiber art as a form of relaxation and personal expression. She tried to instill an appreciation for the visual arts among her family (with varied success!) and enjoyed trips to The Art Institute of Chicago in her 80's as well as regularly visiting The Morton Arboretum to inspect the latest public art installations throughout the grounds.

Gayle is survived by her devoted husband, Donald Alfred Sommerfeld, her children, Scott (and Cindy) Sommerfeld, Brad (and Judy) Sommerfeld, Sandi (and Dave) Helm, and David (and Jennifer) Sommerfeld along with 11 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

A visitation for Gayle Sommerfeld is planned for Friday, October 3, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Hultgren Funeral Home, 304 N. Main St., Wheaton, IL 60187. An additional visitation will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Family in Faith Christian Church, 1480 Bloomingdale Road, Glendale Heights, IL 60139 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. For those unable to travel to the funeral, remote viewing of the service will be available via the following Zoom link: https://zoom.us/s/2371909484#success

On Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., a memorial service with an acknowledgement of her legacy with MOST Ministries will be held at St. Luke Lutheran Church, 4205 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48108.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests consideration of a donation to one of the following organizations central to the life and legacy of Gayle Sommerfeld:

Mission Opportunities Short Term (MOST) Ministries: https://www.mostministries.org

Dignity4Girls: https://www.dignity4girls.org

Family in Faith Christian Church: https://www.fifcc.org

Additionally, Gayle's book, Beyond Sight: God's Vision for Using Ordinary People to Impact the World, can be obtained in print and on Kindle through Amazon at: https://a.co/d/gPJFOOC